What type of people do you know and understand? What types of government policies have created a new opportunity for you and your clients? What tool can you use to help your clients buy and sell real estate that isn’t typical? These are all questions to consider.

How do you find potential clients? Here are some suggestions:

Multi Family – Ask the landlord if you can advertise a unit for rent; farm apartment buildings for potential buyers

The healthier a community, the better the environment for residents, homeowners and REALTORS®.

The Arizona Association of REALTORS® (Arizona REALTORS®), National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and REALTOR® Party have resources to help you and your association plant seeds that will pay community dividends for years to come.

Arizona REALTORS® recently recognized the SouthEast Valley Regional Association of REALTORS® (SEVRAR) for their excellence in community service with a 2016 Community Outreach Award.

SEVRAR was honored for battling homelessness by working together to remodel a home as a part of House of Refuge, a nonprofit that helps homeless families through the hardest part of their lives. House of Refuge provides secure housing, basic needs, employment guidance, family engagement activities and on-going case management for one year.

“Our honorees have made a significant impact within the industry, association and our communities,” said Arizona REALTORS® 2016 President Paula Serven. “It’s our privilege to recognize these members for their many accomplishments.”

SEVRAR donated its $2,000 Community Outreach Award to the House of Refuge. The nonprofit’s Executive Director Nancy Marion said the donation will be used to enhance community center programs and after school care services.

“One of the main purposes of the Community Center is to provide a ‘safe’ house for the children after school,” said Marion. “Fifty-percent of our families have histories of domestic violence, so it is important to begin building trusting relationships and safe harbors. By offering consistent, nurturing environments and safe areas these children begin to trust and grow.”

The Community Outreach Awards is one of many programs available to members and associations; others include Placemaking, Smart Growth, Housing and Diversity programs that can help address a variety of issues, including affordable workforce housing challenges, land use and development issues, community revitalization, transportation planning and fair housing.

SEVRAR has planted a seed. In addition to making your community a better place to live and work, becoming engaged in your community can strengthen your community influence and enhance your public relation efforts. It will give you a seat at the table and prime you to become more politically involved in issues that affect the real estate market.

With more than 43,000 REALTORS® across the state, there is no better way to set yourself apart than becoming a member of the Master of Real Estate Society (MRES). Currently, there are only 72 members in Arizona; will you be number 73?

MRES recognizes members who have a passion for learning and exceed the mandatory 24 hours of continuing education credits required by the Arizona Department of Real Estate.

Members of the Society are career-focused REALTORS® who recognize that staying abreast of new trends, new business practices and continuing to hone their skills are key to being successful. It also provides an added marketing tool to show consumers that MRES members are serious players in the real estate industry.

The Society is divided into three membership levels:

Inaugural: First-time applicants or previous members who had a lapse in membership between terms

Alumni: Renewing MRES members without a lapse in membership

Gold: Have held the MRES certification for four or more consecutive terms (eight years)

All Society members receive a free education class every year provided by the Arizona Association of REALTORS®.

To qualify, applicants must meet the following requirements:

Inaugural: Must hold one NAR designation or certification; be a designee or candidate of an additional designation or certification; must have completed 54 continuing education hours; must have earned 10 points by participating in various community, association activities, being a active broker, etc.(First time applicants also have a $25 society fee)

Alumni: Must hold one NAR designation or certification; be a designee or candidate of an additional designation or certification; must have completed 54 continuing education hours; must have earned 8 points by participating in various community, association activities, being a active broker, etc.(No renewal fee required)

Gold applicants: Must hold one NAR designation or certification; be a designee or candidate of an additional designation or certification; must have completed 54 continuing education hours; must have earned five points by participating in various community, association activities, being a active broker, etc. Gold members also receive a gold pin to recognize their accomplishment.(No renewal fee required)

Many REALTORS® attribute the foundation of their success to continued real estate education. So, join the MRE Society today and set yourself apart from the crowd! For complete membership requirements and a current application form, contact Brittni Matt via email or by calling 602.248.7787.

The application period for the 2017-2018 term is January 1 through March 1, 2017.

Brittni Matt is director of Education Outreach Programsfor the Arizona Association of REALTORS®

Is being a “true” professional different from any other professional? Yes.

REALTORS® are trusted to help buyers find a home, and being a true professional is really about “being.” It is about who you are inside, about your character and the positive role you assume in the lives of clients, friends and fellow REALTORS.

Being polite, ethical and knowledgeable follows your personal satisfaction and affirmation for having made a significant contribution to a good result. It is the “true” and authentic “you” — it is who you are and how you’re seen.

You can reinforce this positive feeling in many concrete ways:

Take a photo of happy buyers waving in front of the dream home they purchased with your help, then hang it where you’ll see it every day

Drive by homes of past clients with pride and take a photo of new landscaping or other improvements, then send them the picture with your compliments

Send emails asking for feedback from clients or other REALTORS® with whom you work, then keep their accolades in a “brag file” and revisit it often

Place a mirror near where you make phone calls, then watch yourself being more polite and pleasant when talking to others.

Belonging to the real estate Industry is a noble endeavor with a higher purpose. What you do is significant and can have an astonishing impact on clients, colleagues and communities. REALTORS® have a noble role to give and to serve; professional behaviors flow in a natural way from feeling that generosity of spirit.

CONGRATULATIONS! By reading this completely, you are obviously committed to the ever evolving role of “being” a “true” professional. Welcome aboard.

John Foltz was 1998 president of the Arizona Association of REALTORS®and 2010 winner of the Arthur G. Crozier Distinguished Service Award.

A recent analysis of zipFormMLS-Connect® usage around the state shows that more REALTORS® are finding the time-saving function useful. MLS-Connect is the handy zipForm® feature that allows users to import data directly from a MLS listing into zipForm® transactions, saving time and improving accuracy.

When new TRID requirements were put into place last year, enhanced features were added to MLS-Connect; including additional data, like member and broker license numbers. Since that time, MLS-Connect usage has increased by 40%!

Which of the MLSs lead in this increase? Here are percentage increase figures based on a six-month average:

MLS

% Increase

WARDEX

+331%

WMAR

+233%

SEAAR

+200%

NAAR

+149%

YAOR

+90%

Percentage increases doesn’t tell the whole story; the sheer number of users don’t always get reflected in the percentages. Here are the leading MLSs based on increased users over a six-month average:

MLS

User Increase

ARMLS

452

MLSSA

71

WARDEX

66

PMLS

31

If you haven’t used MLS-Connect and want to learn more about it, click here. If you still have questions, please contact AAR’s Business Services support at support@aaronline.com or 866.833.7357.

The ballots are counted, the decision is in and speculations on the new administration’s initiatives are in full swing! The potential impact on the international real estate industry could be significant, particularly in a state like Arizona, which draws more than $4 million in foreign investment to residential real estate.

Prior to the election, many claims were made that, “I’m moving to Canada!” should Trump be elected. Recent data from realtor.com/international supports that people were indeed looking into Canadian properties. According to that data, U.S. international property online searches were up more than 500-percent following the election results.

In addition, between 10 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. ET on Election Day, page views increased 948-percent compared to the same time period the week before. The searching continued the day after with traffic hitting a high at 1 p.m. ET when page views increased 536-percent compared with the same time the week before.

Overall, the weekly average of international property page views was up 329-percent compared to the week before (Nov. 7-9 versus Oct. 31–Nov. 2). It remains to be seen whether people will actually put their money where their browsers are, and most will likely wait to see what initiatives the new administration will pursue.

President-Elect Donald J. Trump made his fortune in real estate, so he certainly understands the importance and consequence that U.S. politics bring to the overall global property market. However, his policy platform has been rather vague in terms of real estate.

In the short term, the election results will have limited impact on the housing market. Longer-term changes affecting housing finance, the secondary mortgage market and tax policy changes will require Congressional action. Those policy debates could take months so any impact is a long way from reaching consumers.

If you are a REALTOR® who practices property management within the state, you are all too familiar with the less than simplified Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) process that has taken place over the last two years.

This past legislative session, Arizona REALTORS® helped pass SB 1350, which mandated the establishment of an electronically-consolidated tax return system by January 1, 2018. To ease transition to the centralization of TPT licensing and reporting, the Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR) issued this bulletin.

For the remainder of 2016, those practicing property management are required, at a minimum, to continue to report and pay TPT in the manner in which they reported and paid the city of the residential rental in 2014. Of importance to note, some cities have already begun the transfer of collections and remittance to the ADOR; the City of Phoenix for example.

Beginning in 2017, ADOR will assume the centralized administration for licensing, reporting and paying TPT. At this time, property managers should report and pay to ADOR as they do now:

If you currently report all of your licensed property owners and locations to the cities on a consolidated basis, please continue doing so with ADOR, or;

If you currently report and pay city TPT liabilities separately by licensed property owner and location, please continue doing so with ADOR.

On November 15, 2016, the ADOR began mailing annual renewals for TPT licenses, so please be on the lookout for those notices. If there are any questions pertaining to renewing a license, please contact ADOR Problem Resolution Officer Amy Benesch at ProblemResolutionOffice@azdor.gov or by calling 602.716.6025.

Over the next year, there will be additional changes as ADOR moves towards electronic consolidation of the TPT return process. To stay up-to-date, sign up for email updates from the Department and make sure you have opted-in to receive the REALTOR® Voice for additional news as the TPT process continues to evolve.

In case you missed it, November 8 marked the General Election for our nation and state. Though the national election results have sparked both positive and negative sentiments, as Arizona REALTORS® we should be very proud of our REALTOR® endorsed election results in Arizona.

In the General Election, the REALTORS® of Arizona Political Action Committee (RAPAC) endorsed a total of 74 candidates; 3 individuals for the Arizona Corporation Commission, 28 individuals in the Arizona Senate, and 43 individuals for the Arizona House of Representatives.

Two days post-election, there are still ballots to be counted and a number of races are too close to call, but if the numbers pan out as they currently stand, our overall success rate will stand at 95.9%.

In the Senate, the 28 Arizona REALTOR® endorsements held strong with 26 individuals easily sailing to victory. However, two races remain too close to call; Legislative District 6 Senator Allen v. Nikki Bagley, and Legislative District 28 Representative Brophy-McGee v. Representative Meyer. As of this posting, both Arizona REALTOR® endorsed candidates (Allen and Brophy-McGee) remain in the lead.

If both candidates retain their lead, the Arizona REALTORS® will have a 100% endorsement success rate for the Senate.

When looking to the Arizona House of Representatives, a total of 43 candidates were endorsed, with 40 candidates successful in their bid for office. The race between REALTOR® Champion Stefanie Mach and challenger Todd Clodfelter remains to be called with only 569 votes separating the two candidates as of this posting.

In the regulatory arena, the Arizona REALTORS® were 100% successful in our Arizona Corporation Commission endorsements (Robert “Bob” Burns, Andy Tobin and Boyd Dunn). Although the Corporation Commission is typically not a governmental body that comes to mind when thinking about real estate, it is important to remember that Arizona REALTORS® have long participated in and been represented at the Commission.

With issues such as line extensions, opposition to demand rates, and fair rates for consumers, participation in the Commission is integral to the interests of REALTORS® and homeowners throughout the state.

In all, Arizona REALTORS® continue to maintain their high level of election success. Whether a candidate is Republican or Democrat, he or she is part of the REALTOR® Party. We look forward to a successful 2017 legislative session where Arizona REALTORS® will have one united voice to promote and protect homeownership and private property rights.

Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth. – Abraham Lincoln

One-hundred and fifty-three years after President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, the meaning of his speech still rings true today.

A government of the people.
In Arizona, we have many levels of government where individual citizens can serve; whether local city council, state legislature, or statewide office. However, we also have more than 200 boards and commissions that regulate and license professions and occupations, as well as develop policies and recommendations.

By the people.
As a REALTOR®, you know your license is held at the Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE), but did you know that the department also has a ten-member Real Estate Advisory Board appointed by the governor? It consists of (2) real estate brokers, (2) residential real estate brokers, (1) multifamily residential real estate broker, (2) subdividers and (3) public members; all of whom serve staggered six-year terms.

For the people.
The Advisory Board provides the ADRE commissioner with recommendations that it deems both necessary and in the best interest of the public. It also makes recommendations on specific questions or proposals as requested by the commissioner. Annually, the board presents a performance evaluation of the commissioner and the ADRE to the governor.

You are well represented on the Advisory Board. Of the 10 positions, five are Arizona REALTOR® members and one of three public members is the vice president of government affairs for Arizona REALTORS®.

Although we don’t talk about federal issues like antitrust, fair housing and RESPA very often, these areas are worthy of our attention. Consider the following hypothetical situations.

Scenario 1: I was playing cards one night with two of my closest friends. We are all licensed REALTORS® at three different firms. Part of our casual conversation led us to discuss the different commission structures and compensation packages at our separate companies. We compared what each of us charged our clients and found some similarities whicht made us realize — we all charge about the same. How nice to know we aren’t competing in all areas of our business.

Did you recognize this as an Antitrust issue?

Scenario 2: I want to rent a specific apartment, but the landlord refuses because my service animal is a Pit Bull. Doesn’t he have to let me rent because this is a certified service animal?

Do you know the answer to this Fair Housing issue?

Scenario 3: My title company is wonderful. They still provide lots of free stuff; pamphlets, brochures, flyers, listing kits and more. The rumor on the street was that none of this could ever be done again.

Is this a RESPA issue, why or why not?

The Arizona REALTORS® rCRMS Federal Legal Issues course covers many of today’s challenges and concerns, such as those mentioned above. If you missed this class in Phoenix, Flagstaff or Tucson earlier this year, you’ve got two more opportunities in 2016: November 17 in Mesa or December 1 in Scottsdale.